After Jordan Eberle tallied 34 goals and 76 points last year, some suggested that would be his career-high. But the statistics that many felt was unattainable was his 18.9 shooting percentage. Eberle tallied 34 goals on 180 shots. Steven Stamkos was the only player to score more goals, 60, and have a higher SH%, 19.8. Curtis Glencross, 26 goals on 110 shots for 23.6 SH % and Jiri Hudler, 25 goals on 127 shots for 19.7 SH% were the only other players with 20+ goals and a higher SH % than Eberle.

We won't know how efficient of a scorer he will be in the NHL until the suits find a way to end the lockout, but in the American League Eberle is scoring at a rate they haven't seen in over a decade.

Eberle is a pure goal scorer. He takes a lot of pride of his shot and works on it constantly.

I think for one, I’ve really worked on my shot. I try not to waste a chance; you know if I’m in the slot I’m going to bury it.Like you said, I’m not a guy to come down the wing and fire a puck on net. I more so want be the guy that beats the defensive line, tries to make a play to a guy or turn back and try to create more out of it. The chances I usually get, I usually try to slip in to places where it is a lot easier to score. Something about my shot too, I think goalies usually have trouble with it. I think I shoot off the toe a little bit. I ask goalies, ‘What’s the difference between my shot and someone else’s?’ It just comes off differently. So, I take a lot of pride on working on it. If I get a chance, I want to score. It pisses me off when I don’t.

Eberle tallied four goals in four shot on Saturday and now he leads the AHL in goals and shooting percentage. He has 19 goals on 69 shots for a sizzling 27.5 SH%. Some will argue he should be lighting up the AHL, because he's an NHL player, and I would agree, but he's shown accuracy that the league has rarely seen.

Here is a list of the top-five goal scorers dating back to the last lockout.

2005

G

SHOTS

SH%

Mike Cammalleri

46

308

14.9

Thomas Vanek

42

271

15.4

Denis Hamel

39

247

15.7

Kyle Wellwood

38

184

20.6

Chuck Kobasew

38

250

15.2

2006

G

SHOTS

SH%

Don Maclean

56

271

20.6

Denis Hamel

56

378

14.8

Patrick O'Sullivan

47

321

14.6

Kirby Law

43

229

18.7

Dustin Penner

39

251

15.3

2007

G

SHOTS

SH%

Brett Sterling

55

287

19.1

Alex Giroux

42

269

15.6

Troy Brouwer

41

186

22

Darren Haydar

41

231

17.7

Jeff Heerema

36

315

11.4

2008

G

SHOTS

SH%

Jason Krog

39

212

18.3

Jeff Tambellini

38

237

16.1

Brett Sterling

38

196

19.4

Pascal Pelletier

37

266

13.9

Troy Brouwer

35

212

16.5

2009

G

SHOTS

SH%

Alex Giroux

60

341

17.5

Kyle Greentree

39

264

14.7

Ryan Potulny

38

244

15.6

Artem Anisimov

37

202

18.3

Chris Minard

34

209

16.3

2010

G

SHOTS

SH%

Alex Giroux

50

253

19.7

Jerome Samson

37

332

11.1

Andrew Gordon

37

195

18.9

Brock Trotter

26

165

15.7

Keith Aucoin

35

183

19.1

2011

G

SHOTS

SH%

Colin McDonald

42

259

16.2

Nigel Dawes

41

211

19.4

Chris Terry

34

213

15.9

Mark Mancari

32

204

15.7

Alex Giroux

32

242

13.2

2012

G

SHOTS

SH%

Cory Conacher

39

213

18.3

Mark Fraser

37

253

14.6

Kyle Palmeiri

33

217

15.2

Ryan Potulny

33

188

17.5

Chris Mueller

32

196

16.3

2013

G

SHOTS

SH%

Jordan Eberle

19

69

27.5

Tyler Johnson

16

72

22.2

Cam Atkinson

15

87

17.2

Justin Schultz

14

73

19.1

Drayson Bowman

14

91

15.3

The AHL has only kept track of SH% since 1992/1993. Dane Jackson has the record at 27%, 27 goals on 100 shots in 1996, while Eric Healey sits second at 26.96% when he tallied 31 goals on 115 shots in 2004.

Eberle could go scoreless on his next 15 shots and still sit first in SH%. While some will say "It is only the AHL," the fact is he is more efficient with his shots than anyone else in the league, by a considerable margin.

I'm very curious to see how efficient he will be when the NHL returns, but like I wrote in the summer, I wouldn't be surprised to see him hover between 16-19%.

NHL SH% RECORDS

Here is a list of the NHL's five best single-season SH%:

Charlie Simmer, 32.75% with 56 goals on 171 shots in 1981.
Sergei Makarov, 32.26% with 30 goals on 93 shots in 1991.
Craig Simpson, 31.6% with 56 goals in 177 shots in 1988. (He had 43 goals on 118 shots, 36.4% in 59 games with Edmonton after being traded from Pittsburgh.)
Warren Young, 30.8% with 40 goals on 130 shots in 1985.
Rob Brown, 30.0% with 24 goals on 51 shots in 1988. Brown has the 7th best SH% as well at 29% with 49 goals on 169 shots in 1989.

I doubt Eberle or anyone else will come close to those records, but those stats illustrate how much harder it is to score now compared to the 1980s.

On a different note, if you are wondering how the lockout will be impacted by the lawsuit filed by the NHL, and the inevitable disclaimer of interest by the NHLPA read here.

DAY ELEVEN

On Friday we raised another $3,500 thanks to Todd and his generous bid on the Yakupov jersey and party for 10 at the Pint.Today's package includes.

Today's package includes...

A suite for ten at the Edmonton Oil Kings game on Friday, January 11th in the ATB suite.

Includes two parking passes very close to the Gretzky statue, so you won't have to walk far.

A $750 tab for food and beverages.

Jason Strudwick and Rob Brown will join you in the suite to regale you with some great NHL stories.

Bidding goes from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. You can call 1.800.243.1945 or 780.426.8326 to bid. So far we have raised $28,500 and are on pace to reach my goal of $45,000. Thanks in advance for your generous bid. All the proceeds will go to Santas Anonymous.

One of Canada's most versatile sports personalities. Jason hosts The Jason Gregor Show, weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m., on TSN 1260, and he writes a column every Monday in the Edmonton Journal. You can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JasonGregor

Does shooting % really matter, isn't it all about how many goals he scores???

Yes, but a high Sh% usually means that a player scored more goals than the norm based on the number of shots he actually took.

The average forward should fall somewhere close to 8-9% (As per Mister Willis) so a number more than 2X that is unusual. For most players that is attributed to good luck and in the future they fall back down to the normal range.

The number of shots though likely wont increase to compensate for that, so the goal totals drop as a result.

Yes, it is all about how many goals he scores, but his Sh% suggests that his goal totals will plummet. Unless he's a special player, then he becomes the exception to the rule.

I like that Eberle is scoring at the rate that he is, and that his shot has been so accurate at the AHL level. Combined with his NHL play last season, it's a positive indicator, and means that I'd put the probability of him being a 16%+ shooter at the NHL level higher than I would have over the summer.

The NHL's league-average save percentage most years is right around 0.912 IIRC, so the average shooter is actually converts at around 8.8%. It's a little higher for guys with lots of PP time - like Eberle - and a little lower for the guys who don't get it.

Eberle is a special player and anyone doubting this kid is a little special too. What does the guy have to do? All he does is score. Does anyone remember the world juniors. Or his first nhl game. Or coming from junior and posting a point per game in the ahl at like 18 or 19. His shot is deadly accurate any moron can see that. Combined with the guys he is playing with, is going to equal points. We have two of the best young shooters in the world ( yakupov ). Mopping the floors!?!?! Wow he Archie we don't need any negative nellies around here go creep some other site.

He's got a highly accurate shot and is selective. Like he says, what's the point of just shooting when he can make a different play and is good enough to hold on to the puck and check out his options. He is very shifty.

He's got a highly accurate shot and is selective. Like he says, what's the point of just shooting when he can make a different play and is good enough to hold on to the puck and check out his options. He is very shifty.

Alex Giroux really jumps off the page as a consistently outstanding AHL player. Shame it never translated to his NHL play.

If I recall correctly, he made relatively big bucks on the Barons (500K), but was mainly playing in the AHL becuase he was keeping the NHL dream alive.

Do you think his skillset would carry over better in the KHL? And would he be able to cash in there? Or would the big ice simply compound his limitations (speed, etc.)?

Giroux is currently playing in the KHL (courtesy hockeydb.com)

2012-13 Riga Dynamo KHL 33 9 4 13

Mind you this year the KHL has an influx of talent, so in a normal year he would (should) do better than this, but still not blowing the doors off anyone. One of the big complaints about him is foot speed, so yes as you mentioned I am sure it is still an issue, especially on the bigger ice.